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He said the Marine is being kept safe in view of the anger over the alleged incident.

Perrine added that the majority of Marines conduct themselves honorably.

"There are many examples of Marines who adopt pets and bring them back from Iraq and demonstrate their compassion on a daily basis," he said.

If the video is deemed legitimate, the lance corporal could face a charge of conduct unbecoming a Marine, Perrine said. There could be administrative action, nonjudicial punishment or a court-martial, he added.

"It's all governed by the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and anything from reduction in pay to reduction in rank to confinement to discharge from the Marine Corps" is possible, Perrine said. If others are involved, they too will be disciplined, he said.

"Certainly, there's a lot of outrage, and a lot of people are upset about it. I think every Marine is upset about this video," he said. "We hope that it turns out not to be what it looks like."E-mail to a friend